Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-12-23
EARLY "REMINISCENCES
Half a Century Ago In Rock Island
Events and Happenings ut the Time
Deer's ReeOlIeetiOns.

Editor Argus:
Rock ISLAND, H., December 22.-My
first sight of Rock Island was in
the spring of 1888, when came up the
river ON the steamer Warrior, Capt.
Thockmorton, commander. on my way
to the frontier town of Galena As we
slowly steamed up the river we
came in sight of the white block houses
which covered all the lower part of the
Island. | thought we were coming to
large city from the appearance, The
beautiful sloping banks on the west side
Of the river were dotted here and there
with scrub oaks, looking much like an
eastern orchard. Only one house, that Of
Antoine Leclair, the Indian trader and
interpreter, obstructed the rural scene.
There were number of long bleak
streaks from the river up the slope to the
house made by hauling logs for house
building. Up the river the beautiful
Island with its wooded shores. with the
white block houses glistening in the
morning sun. On the Illinois side
smooth verdsnt prairie with two or three
farm houses in the distance. This
prairie was skirted with the heavily wood.
ed bluffs, the whole forming beautiful
landscape unexcelled in the valley of the
great river. After so iourning in Galena
and St. Louis three years, ! came 10 Rock
Island in the fall of 1886, and went into
business with John s. Miller on Front
street on the lot now occupied by sThos.
j. Buford. Miller had brought out John
II. Sullivan, who went over and located
opposite the mouth of Rock river, calling
the new town site Rockingham. Sulli-
van was an energetic. go-s-head man and
soon drew around him q number OF active
business men, who started in with the
intention of building up rival to our
town, then called Stephenson.
At that time Rock river was thought to
be good navigable stream. On this
idea the town of Rockingham was
started. The two pioneer boatmen, Smith
and Scribe Harris, built two boats for
the r!ver-the Frontier and Otter. When
the Frontier came around from Cincin.
natl on her first trip, she landed Just be-
low the present ferry landing In Spencer
i Cases addition. Spencer & Case gave
the Harris boys the eighty feet lot now
belonging to Jacob Riley-I sold it to
him for them for SO, 900 in 1857. There
was good deal of rivalry at that time
between what was called up town and
down town. The down people built q
wharf boat and placed it just below the
present c., Is. & Q. depot. in an eddy.
Some three or four steamboats, went up
Rock river as far as Dixon and one as far
rs Rockford. A small, light draught steam
er, the Rock River, was built at Aztalare,
some distance above Rockford, and was
put into the Mississippi trade. She
WAS commanded by the Polish count,
Harasta. In 1887 and 1888 the state I'm,
dertook to improve the rapids at Van,
drifts island and at Sterling A large
force was employed at Vandruff's island
one season. The contractors were paid
OF in state scrip at par, This scrip soon
went down to rs cents on the dollar.
The county commissioners in 1884 laid
of and sold the lots in what is called Old
Town. A number of my Galena friends
came to the sale and invested in lots at
$500 to $500 Dennis Warren invested
at the same time in those two corner lots
on Second street al $500 each, | think
Adding compound interest and taxes
what is the present values-a sum for oul
high school pulpits to solve. Rock Isl.
and, even at that early date, was consid-
cred busy, promising point
In ~ and 81 the town grew quite
rapidly. and there was a strong, healthy
trade done here. A number of colonies
in Henry and Mercer counties did all
their trading here. In the fall of 1897
came the financial crash. and many who
thought themselves rich in town lots and
wild cat" money. found themselves
poor. You could find the stakes for pa
per towns every three or four miles-go
ing in any direction. The country wa
much infested with counterfeiters and
horse thieves. We did not have a regu,
lar vigilance committee, but whenever ar
occasion called them out there wer,
plenty OF volunteers who trotted the cul.
= prits out to the bluff for correction and
,E3lmonished them with forty mine lashes
kks necessary.
!, te asss.J Conway in 1885 held abou
r. sSr HOS going clerk, treas
q saeum ster and boss euchre player
nj y cpg act men whom then knew /
uSp1 seod'but few remain DIR. Gregg
- ~ psne MAJ. Frazer Wilson. E. Tur
Qlv Gle VIM. Bell are about all
e. ~ 8. W. d.